This story has just broke but I can verify it seven ways from Sunday. A statue can be seen today in Ness City, Kansas which is in Ness County Kansas. The towns name sake is Noah V. Ness according to the statue and the history of Ness City.

Noah V. Kness was born in 1837 to George Kness. George and his son can both be seen on the 1856 Census of Iowa, Jefferson County to be exact.

Like Custer, Noah went to visit his sister in Humboldt, Kansas. Custer of course went to Monroe, Michigan. Noah V. Kness joined the 7th Kansas Cavalry on Feb. 8th 1862. But for whatever reason the K was left off! Maybe the K was silent.

Even his ancestors in Iowa had him listed as getting killed at Tallahassee. It should have been Tallahatchie.

In 1878 Kansas wanted to honor some of its sons and named counties after them. Only one problem Kness was a son of Iowa and NOT Kansas. On his statue yet today in Ness City you will see his name as Noah V. Ness.

How could Kansas forget about the K?